Internal emergency shut-off valve for tanks and actuating means therefor



July 18, 1933. A. w. WHEATON 1,918,728

INTERNAL EMERGENCY SHUT-OFF VALVE FOR TANKS AND ACTUATING MEANS THEREFORFiled Nov. 27, 1931 I N VEN TOR BYJ/U/ff l Med/wz A TTORNE Patented July1s, 1933 UNITED' STATES Parent ofi-rica Annan: W. WHEATGN,oFMnrLEWoonNEW JErzsn, AssrGNon To AVJW. wrrnnron BRASS Worms, or'NEWARK, NEW milena; A y.con-Pomarron or NEW JERSEY i vIIIEITNBISTALEMERGENCY SHUTJOFEE yALvE non 1ra-ms j Tnrinmion AND ACTTUATING MEANSApplication 1aed Novembef a7, rsa1. :serial Nafslvzea f This inventionrelates to improvements in internal emergency `shutoff valves 'for tanks`and gravitycontrolled .means for actuating the same. v

In the ,storage of volatile or combustible fluids .in tanks, it ishighly desirable to aff- ;ford means to automatically close thedischarge outlets of said tanks .in the event ot occurrence ,of fire inthe vicinity of uthe latter.` With .suchgpurpose in view, thisinventionhas for its principal object -to provide a novel internalemergency shutoff valve .in combination with a gravity -controlled`actuating means therefor, certain Working ,parts of .the latterbeinghoused in a ,gas-tight casing mounted upon and co`mlmunicating withthe 'interior of the tank,

whereby Vthe normalsealed integrity of tank is maintained, ,andtheescape ofgasesgiven I elf by the contentof the tank prevented.

This invention vhas 'for a turther objectl to provide a novel,gas-tightgravity controlled 4actllat'ing means for internal `emerl`gency shut-oilE valves of "tanks, the gravitatable element of which,however, is externally exposed so as to besu'bjec't to normal restraint,in its raised or valveopemng position, by .means of an externalcheck-tie. in-

i the same when subjected to abnormal tem-r perature rises.

.clu'ding afusfi'ble link capableV of releasing ther `objects of thisinvention, not `at this *time ymore particularly enumerated, will Fbe.understood `tromwthe following idetailed description ofV fthe `same.

\ An illustrative yembodiment.fetthis inven-` tion is shown in theaccempanying drawimg., in Whichcy Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevationof a :storage ftank l equipped with the internal emergency shut-.off,valve- Ameans and actu-v `ating mechanism 'therefor accordingto vthisinvention; A FigQ :is Aa fragmentary vlongitudinal ,section .of thesame,drawn on an enlarged scalegFig. 3 is ,a top plan View off thevalveactuat'ing meansand itsgas-tight casing, .drawn on afurtherenlarged scale.;J and y Figmi` is a transversev vertical section, takenon line L1`4 in said Fig. 3. u

Similar characters of `referencev are'femployed in, the `above describedviews, to indicate correspondingparts.

Y Referring Ato said drawing, the reference .vioe, comprising a body 8havin an annular seat pontionQ. Connected with the upper sideV oit saidbod-y /8 'is a ulcrum 'lug or Tear 10.` Pivotally connected With saidtlug or ear 10 is afframe 11 to Which is'lsuitably attached a valvemember 12 to cooperate With said seat portion 9 of the l-body`8.

,'Sui'tablyf,connected with theV free end of said'frame 1 1 is an arm13, to the ree end of which is in .turnconnected a Ycoupling link or'loop 14 for attaching the lovverlend of afleXi'ble pull cable 15 withvsaid lframe 11.r f

'The gravity controlled actuatinl vmeans `fon the internal emergencyshut-o y valve,

lcomprises a hollow casing 16, having at its flower end an Virrnallythreaded neck 117. Said casing is 'connected in upstanding Lrelation.tothe tank 5 .by a' nipple 18 which is threaded into the neck 17, andthelower end of which is entered .through the lwall 'of the tank, thusconnecting the interior chamber 19 Ior' said Acasing 1'6 incommunication with the tank interior, and preferably at a ointlvertically spaced .abovethe location o 'said internal emergencyshut-'olf valve. 'Said casing 1&6 is :preferablyshaped to `provide:transversdly disposed bearing means laterally Oilfset` from `thevert-ical axis of the vcasing and .its neck 17. This bearing meanscomprises .a vlthrust bearing boss 20 `intergrally formed connection`Withone side Wall of `.the d'casing; said bos/s including `an internalextension L21 in `which Ais formed a thrust ,bearing seat 722.integrally formed in .connection :with Athe opposite sidewall of saidcasing is an 'internal bea-ring lboss 23 'and' an externally Vdisposedlor `efzrteriorly Aprojecting enlarged boss 24. Formed in said" internalbearing boss 23 is a bearing opening 2 5, and

formed in said exterior'boss 24 is an axially aligned outwardly openstuling-box cham' vber 26 of enlarged diameter. Intermediate saidbearing .opening 25 and stuffing-box chamber 26 is an annular seat 27.

The reference character 28 indicates a spindle, having at one endajournal por tion 29 of reduced diameter. Saidspindle is passed inwardlythrough said stufling-box chamber 26 and bearingjopening 25, so as toextend transversely through the interior ofthe casing 16 with itsjournal portion 29 engaged in the thrust bear-ingseat 22. Said spindleis provided with an annular dia- .metrically enlarged shoulder 30adapted toI seat on said seat 27. 'Intermediate vsaid shoulder 30..'andsaid journal portion 29, the

spindleis provided with a -section 31 of square or polygonal'crosssection. Engaged in the stuliing-box chamber 26 is a suitable.

packing 32vwhich surrounds the exteriorly extending portion ofthespindle; the inner end lof said packing abutting the shoulder l'30.'Engagedin said stuing-box chamber behind the packing 32is a gland 33yhaving a langedlouter end 33, through which extend fastening bolts 34which screw into internally threaded openings 35 provided in the boss24, thereby securing the gland in packing retaining relation to thestuiingbox. The exterior-ly projecting free end of said Spindle isprovided with a squared'end 36, upon which is mounted a lever member '37,the latter being `retained secured relation yto the spindle vby meansof a nut 58 vengaged on a threaded stud 39 formed 1n" connection withthe free4 outer end of the spindle. Fixed upon the forwardly extendingarm of said lever member 37 isa weight Mounted on the squared section 31ofthe spindle, within lthefinterior 19 of the casing 16 is a lever arm41. The k,pull cable 15, connected withhinged frame of the internalemergency shut-oft valve, -extends upwardly through the .tank interiorand through thenipple 18 into the interior 19 of the casingl 16, and isconnected with the free end of said lever arm41. j i l Suitably anchoredto.. a pointfexteriorly of the'tank, as tothe outlet pipe 6 by means ofthe encircling anchor yoke 42, is a tie .member 43, the upper end ofwhich is connected with the rearwardly extending arm of-said levermember 37. Thel length of said tie-member .is separably divided by afuse-.link element 44. The tie member 43 is of such length as tofholdthe rearward arm of the lever member 37 downwardly swung and the forwardweighted arm upwardly swung.y This .position of the lever member 37raises and` holds theleverarm 41, within the casing 16,'to and inup-swung normal position, thus pulling upward the pull cable 15 to swingupward the frame 11 and valve member 12, whereby the internal emergencyshut-oil' valve is normally maintained in open conditi on'(see Fig. 1).

1 It will vbe obvious that, owing to the provision of the casing lvwithits internally enclosed lever arm 41, and including the gas tightbearing provided for the .spindle 28 -through the agency of thestuling-box structure, the mechanism controlling the emergencyfshut-offvalve may be employed without risk of the escape of gases or fumes givenoff by the content of the tank, thus eliminating lossesdue toevaporation and also preventing the venting of dangerous or combustiblegases from the tank. In order to give access' to the interior of thecasing 16, when assembling the control mechanism and ycoupling the samewith the pull tablel .15, one side wall of said casing is provided withan opening normally closed by a coverplatek 16l and sealing gasket 16.Said cover-plate may be secured in closed relation to the casing 16 byscrews. or any other convenient form of fasteningmeans y In the event offire occurring in the vicinity 'of' the storage tank 5, the heat thereofwill react upon the fuse-link element 44 to cause a separation thereofwith consequent parting of the tie member 43, thereby freeing the levermember .37 from restraint. lVhen thus freed, the weight 40, undergravity will swing'down the lever member thereby turning the spindle 28and consequently y swinging downward the lever arm 41 within thecasing`16. The downward swinging of the lever arm 41 relaxes thepull-cable 15 and thus allows the frame 11 to swing downwardly relativeto the body 8 of the emer` ing additional ire hazards.

I am aware that many changes could be made in the abovedescribedmechanisms as well asA in the details ofthe construction of this.invention as defined in thel appended claims; itiis'therefore intendedthat all matter contained in the above description or shown in theaccompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not'in alimitingl sense. Y, Y l f thereof, withoutdeparting from the scopestantially in vertical alignment with said shut-oil valve with itsinterior communicating with the tank interior, a transverse spindlejournaled in and between the walls of said casing and having anexteriorly projecting end, a stuffing-box means through which saidexterior spindle end projects, a lever` arm fixed on said spindle withinsaid casing, a p ull cable extending from the in terior of said casinginto said tank interior and connected between said lever arm andtheoperative element of said shut-off valve to normally hold the latter inopen position,

a weighted lever member fixed on the ex communication with the interiorof said tank, a spindle journaled in said casing, said casing having astuffing-box means through which an exterior end of said spindleprojects, a Weighted lever means on the exterior end of said spindle, avalve controlling lever arm on the interior end of said spindle, andmeans exteriorly of the tank to normally retain said Weighted levermeans upraised against gravitational operation to normally hold saidshut-off valve in open condition.

3. Means for'controlling an internal emergency shut-off valve of astorage tank, comprising a gas-tight chambered casing having aninternally threaded neck,a nipple coupling said neck to said tank toconnect said casing interior in communication with the interior of saidtank above said shut-off valve, a spindle j ournaled in said casing,said casing having a stuiiing-box means through which an end of saidspindle may project exteriorly of said casing, a valve controlling leveron the interior end of said spindle, an internal pull means between saidlever and valve, an operating lever on the exterior end of said spindle,said operating lever having oppositely extending arms, one arm having aweight, and a partable tie-member including a fusible link connectedwith the other arm to hold the weight upraised against gravitation tonormally maintain said valve in open condition.

ABRAM W. WHEATON.

